Bearing Fruit, July 28, 2019

Bearing Fruit, July 28, 2019

Washington Mennonite

▪ Offering for 7/21/19: Regular Offering: $3272.46

▪ School Kits!! It’s that time again when we collect school kits for MCC to distribute. Bags are on the table in the foyer with a list of contents included in each bag. Also on the table are pencils and pencil sharpeners (which are provided for you) for each bag. Please take what you need for your bags. Immigration Detainee Kits are also being collected by MCC for distribution in Texas. If you want to make one, take a list of items from the table in the foyer. Return all completed kits (school and immigration detainee) to the church by August 18, 2019. Thanks for your generous gifts.

▪  Washington Mennonite has been asked to help at Camp Reece July 30, 6:15 pm. We need volunteers and 12 dozen cookies. There will be a sign up sheet in the foyer on Sunday for all willing to help.

▪ TURNING SNACKS INTO HYMNALS

Mark your calendars!  August 25th is the next time we will have snacks after church during fellowship time with donations going toward the new hymnals.  The sooner we raise the necessary funds, the better our chance of getting the 10% discount which will apply to the first 10,000 hymnals sold in the U.S.A. and Canada churches.   Believe us when we say that other churches are also fundraising with this in mind, so there is some urgency.  The snacks on August 25 will be...WAIT FOR IT....homemade cinnamon rolls made by  Martha Graber.  Homemade cinnamon rolls...a possible 10% discount!  What's not to like? If anyone wants to buy hymnals with a bookplate in the cover designating a memorial or honoring a relative or friend, please let Susan See or Amy Widmer know.  We can do that!

SundaySucIowa Mennonite School

▪ OPEN HOUSE | The time has finally arrived for us to re-introduce ourselves to the community! The IMS operating board and administrative team invite everyone to an open house on Tuesday, July 30 from 7:00-8:00 PM in Celebration Hall. Come to this informal gathering and get the first look at our school's new name, logos, and mascot. Come enjoy some light refreshments and maybe even win some school apparel. We love the look of our new identity and are excited to show it to you all!

Mennonite Agencies

▪ Letter from Central Plains Mennonite Conference:  As we shared with you at Annual Meeting, Pastor Gloria Villatoro and her children will be moving to Ensenada, Mexico. We now know her specific plans and invite your prayers for safe travel and in this time of adjusting to a new life in Mexico. 

On July 31, Roger Farmer and Tim Widmer from Washington, IA, will be accompanying Gloria and her children, driving a van with the Villatoro's household goods. They will stop overnight in Newton, Kansas at the MCC Guesthouse. On Thursday, they will travel to Albuquerque, NM where they will be hosted by the Albuquerque Mennonite Church. Roger and Tim will drive from Albuquerque to San Diego, CA, where arrangements will be made to transfer household items across the border. From August 3 to August 11, Gloria and her family will spend time with a number of churches in Pacific Southwest Mennonite Conference. Pacific Southwest Conference is developing a supporting partnership with Max and Gloria for ministry in Mexico. Gloria and the children will arrive in Ensenada on August 12. Please pray for this family as they make this major transition. 

Also, if you would like to contribute to the costs of moving, you can make contributions to Central Plains Mennonite Conference by mail or the conference website. 

--David Boshart, Executive Conference Minister

▪ Central Plains Mennonite Conference Prayer Request:  We pray for David Boshart as he ends his time at Central Plains Mennonite Conference. We give thanks for his years of wise leadership and faithful witness among us. 

▪ Mennonite Mission Network Prayer Request:  Mennonite Mission Network serves in Mongolia through JCS International, a consortium of mission agencies. Rejoice with Laura Schlabach, interim executive director, that the long search for a new executive director has borne fruit. Pray for the rapidly growing church in this country.

▪ MC USA Announcement:  "This is a peace that defies our Western thinking. It’s a peace that does not classify people or creation into categories. It’s a peace that puts us in right relationship with each other. This includes creation. It’s a peace that reconciles us to God, our creator." Iris de León-Hartshorn, associate executive director of operations for MC USA, writes about "The All-Encompassing Cosmic Christ" on the Menno Snapshots blog: mennoniteusa.org/menno-snapshots/the-all-encompassing-cosmic-christ.

Area Announcements

▪ Crowded Closet Thrift Shop continues to experience growth at our new location. We are ready for you to join us! There are openings in volunteer and staff positions throughout operations. Come for a tour to learn how we turn gently used household items into relief, development, and peace through the work of Mennonite Central Committee. Contact Christine Maust Beachy, Volunteer Coordinator, 319-337-5924 or crowdedcloset.volunteer@gmail.com.

▪ Pleasantview retirement community is hiring a Maintenance Director. This is a full-time position with regular Monday through Friday hours and an on-call rotation. The desired candidate must support the missions of Pleasantview Home and possess organizational and problem-solving skills to perform or oversee carpentry, painting, plumbing, electrical, heating/air, mechanics, and grounds keeping; the ability to lead the maintenance team and collaborate with all departments. This is a physically demanding job working in various elements inside and outside. Applications will be accepted  in our lobby, 811 3rd Street, Kalona or at www.pvhome.org  until July 29.

▪ Pleasantview’s Aging Well program for July will feature a program by area resident Michael Lynch he will be speaking on the subject of clocks. Anyone is welcome to come to the program, to be held in the Friendship Center at 10:00 am on Tuesday, July 30. Please note that the date published last week (July 23) was incorrect; the event will be this Tuesday, July 30. Please call 656-2421 for more information. Pleasantview apologizes for the confusion on dates!

▪ You are invited to an open house for Rudi Mucaj from 2 – 4 on Sunday, August 4 at Kalona Mennonite Church.  You may remember Rudi from his IMS days as a foreign exchange student from Albania.  With your help Rudi graduated from Goshen College this past Spring.  We want to celebrate his accomplishments and thank you for your support of prayers, thoughts, letters and money.  This generous support is your gift.  Join us for light refreshments and find out what is next for Rudi. – Kalona Mennonite Church

▪ Everence will host its popular workshop, Make Medicare an Easy Step, on Monday, Aug. 5, at 6:30 p.m. Attendees will learn about the various Medicare plans and what they cover, plans that supplement Medicare, and enrollment details and deadlines. The workshop will be presented by Everence staff at Kalona Public Library, Velma Skola Room, 510 C Ave. The workshop is free, but space is limited! Reserve your spot by Aug. 2. Contact Joyce Garvin at 877-656-4242 or joyce.garvin@everence.com.